There is a long history of the use of inflatable objects, particularly in the form of static figures to provide visual displays. Often such figures depicted human, animal or humanoid characters that might be utilized at openings or events or at places such as amusement parks. Such inflatable figures provided an easy and economical way to provide relatively large figures which could be deflated for easy shipment and storage.
Such figures might be mounted or supported in such a way that desired movement might be imparted to the figure as for example by attached guide wires or by fan-produced transverse wind currents. They did not have the inherent ability within themselves to provide movement.
Similarly, applicant and others have provided large decorative displays in the form of arrays or inflatable colored tubing arranged and supported in a variety of configurations on buildings or similar large structures.
One relatively recent development has been a product known as the "Vertitube" which essentially comprises a single upright inflatable tube which is secured at its lower end to an air blower or pump. The tube is open at its upper end so that air pumped in to the lower end is discharged through the open upper end. In operation, as the tube inflates and extends upwardly, various destabilizing forces act on the tube, including forces of gravity, shifts in dynamic and static pressure produced by the air flow into and out of the tube, external wind currents, etc. These combined forces tend to cause the upwardly extended tube to bend or deform temporarily. Such deformation, and the resultant increase in internal static pressure, primarily in the upward direction, tend to return the tube to its upright extended position, where it is again subject to the destabilizing forces. Such tubes tend to provide random or apparently random cycling movement between the extended position and a destabilized bent or deformed position. Because of the simple structure of this tube the cycle of movement tends to be generally simple and repetitive, and therefore of somewhat limited variety and interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,675 to STODDARD discloses an inflatable balloon mountable over an air vent and operable to (I) be inflated by air from the vent, and (II) to collapse when air from the vent stops. It depicts, in its main embodiment, an inflatable ghost figure with a body, a head, and a pair of arms that extend generally outwardly to the sides. There are a series of small "exhaust ports 18" that are disposed along the underside of each arm 14. The primary stated function of these small ports is to "direct air flow over streamers 17 to cause them to move" (column 4 lines 30-31). This reference patent also refers to the ports allowing "a portion of the entering air in the balloon to escape causing the balloon to shimmer and move" (claim 2 and Column 2, line 17). This prior art reference does not teach creating continuous and automatic repetitive bending and unbending of the figure in response to a continuous flow of gas into and out of the figure without intentional intervention. As noted above there is intentional intervention, i.e., turning the gas flow on and off so that it is not continuous. Even while the flow is on, there is only a "partial" release through the ports and no resultant bending.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,348,250 to GARDNER shows a an animated inflatable display figure that is made to move by intentionally changing the air pressure in the figure through a cam and valve arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,978 to LETSINGER shows an inflatable advertising device which is "air supported", i.e., intended to inflate and stay up. The inflated device has a small opening at the top for emission of colored "smoke" and to allow lamp heat to be dissipated. Thus, this reference does not disclose an inflatable object that moves as by extending and bending, and does not teach the use of a central opening or openings to implement or contribute to such movement.